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Carmine's Pie House
2677 Forbes St (corner of King and Forbes)
Jacksonville, FL 32204
(904) 387-1400
carminespiehouse.com
The first thing I noticed upon walking into Carmine's was an aromatic whiff of tomato sauce. The next thing was.... everything. There's a lot to look at, ranging from funny bumper stickers to divine inspiration; pasted, chalked, or painted straight onto the walls, in words, pictures, or both. If you put a gun to my head and forced me to describe the place in one phrase, I would say "funky and eclectic." Granted, that's partly because there would actually have to BE a gun to my head before I would say "funky and eclectic" out loud, but it still fits.
The menu is big; appetizers, salads, subs, panini, calzone, stromboli, pasta, and of course, pizza - all variations on Italian-American classics, many of them with whimsical names (for example, they have a pizza named after actress Isabella Rossellini, and their version of chicken parmigiana is dubbed "Bird on a Plate"). Vegetarian and vegan options are readily available. They have beer and wine, naturally, and a display case full of luscious-looking desserts. The full menu is available on the website.
Brass tacks: appetizers start around $5; pasta dishes are $13-15; pizza prices vary by size and toppings; everything else is about $7-8. Also, there is a kid's menu ranging from about $3-6, which is not available to six-foot babies or cases of arrested emotional development. Carmine's does not take reservations, but parties of eight or more should probably call ahead. They do not put gratuities on the check, so remember to tip your server.
Schedule:
Mon - Thu 11am to 11pm
Friday - 11am to whenever
Saturday - 11am to 11pm
Sunday - 12pm to 9pm
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BridgeTroll
October 29, 2012, 12:36:13 PMSaying they have "beer and wine" is a bit understated. Great selection...
I love me some Carmines!
Adam W
October 29, 2012, 03:24:09 PMI absolutely love Carmine's! It's a great place to get a slice or a whole pie. I really don't think you can get a better piece of pizza in the greater Riverside area.
Non-RedNeck Westsider
October 29, 2012, 03:33:08 PMI suppose it depends on taste. For the record, I've only eaten at Carmine's 3 times (since Thursday
And when it comes to delivery - 5-Star, without exception - and again - it's a different pie than the others.
I don't think I've ever had the pizza at Kosta's, but I hear good things from there, too. Pele's, the restaurant, just hasn't impressed me yet, but I do like the pizzas he serves at RAM.
Moral of the story, you can't have enough variety. Even with the 5 different pizza places named, they all are different. It's also why I'm excited for MM to be opening.
Adam W
October 29, 2012, 03:45:44 PMMoon River is pretty good. I (obviously) prefer Carmine's. MM was forgettable to me, but that doesn't mean I won't give it another shot someday.
Once upon a time, Al's had a nice thin crust cheese pizza, but those days are gone. Pizza Palace was good before it opened up the location in 5 pts.
funwithteeth
October 29, 2012, 03:48:24 PMAs someone who occasionally does copy-editing work, the "creative" spelling on the Carmine's staff T-shirts is like sand in my eye. The food is good, at least.
ben says
October 29, 2012, 03:57:44 PMWhat's up with that? Why are the RAM pies 1000x better?
+1000
Non-RedNeck Westsider
October 29, 2012, 04:06:56 PMIn the spirit of full disclosure, I haven't eaten at the restaurant since shortly after they opened (see the Pele's thread), so it may have gotten better. But the reason(s) that I was given was that they still hadn't worked out the kinks in their ovens - too hot in some places, too cold in others, uneven cooking in general, etc...
He's had that trailer for a while and knows how to work it.